Banding machine



V. A. GREY BANDING MACHINE Dec. 18, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1945 INVENTOR. Vzczord' 67159,

Dec. 18, 1951 v. A. GREY 3,

BANDING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Dec. 18, 1951 v. A. GREY 2,

BANDING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

Vlciar (Z Gray, BY

V. A. GREY BANDING MACHINE Dec. 18, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 30, 1945 INVENTOR. Vbcfor CZ. GrQy,

WW M

V. A. GREY BANDING MACHINE Dec. 18, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 30, 1945 m m m w.

BY M$Mr MW V. A. GREY BANDING MACHINE Dec. 18, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed March 30, 1945 INVENTOR. Vo czlor Q Gfqy MM WW Dec. 18, 1951 V. A. GREY BANDING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed March 30, 1945 4 INVENTOR. W060i" Q. firqy, BY MdM W/MM Patented Dec. 18, 1951 BAN DING MACHINE Victor A. Grey, Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Kartridg-Pak Machine 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 30, 1945, Serial N 0. 585,710

Claims. (Cl. 93-3) The present invention has to do with a machine for handing sausages or other articles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of the character described which will automatically effect the banding at a high rate of speed.

The new machine connects the articles together in neatly compacted series of any desired length; applies the banding material snugly and uni-- formly to the articles, irrespective of minor variations in the size of the same; is comparatively simple in construction; is easy and safe to operate, even by inexperienced labor; is sanitary and readily cleanable; and is inexpensive to manufacture, service and repair.

The new machine is an improvement in a number of important respects over the banding machine disclosed in the copending application of Edward C. Sloan and Wilton F. Hoag, filed June 26, 1942, under Serial No. 448,672 (now Patent No. 2,418,054) and the banding machine disclosed in the copending application of Edward C. Sloan, filed May 8, 1944, under Serial No.

534,666 (now Patent No. 2,379,937).

The new machine is capable of producing band type package structures of the character disclosed in the copending application of Oscar E. Seiferth, filed October 8, 1941, under Serial No. 414,088 (now Patent No. 2,379,934), following in a general way in its operation the banding method disclosed in the copending application of Oscar E. Seiferth and Edward C. Sloan, filed October 8, 1941, under Serial No. 414,089 (now Patent No. 2,379,935), but it ill be appreciated that the machine can be readily modified to produce various other package structures in which the articles are continuously banded.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a machine of the character described improved control means for effecting the severing of the banding material after a predetermined number of the articles have been banded and connected together, whereby to obtain a package of any desired length.

Another object is to provide improved means for obtaining a uniform positioning of the articles in the finished package, with their ends even and, in the case of curled sausages, with all of the sausages curled in the same direction.

Still another object of the invention is to in a general way of the nature of the invention, other more specific objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the new machine and its mode of operation.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is presented herein by way of exemplification but it will of course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of incorporation in various other structurally modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In this preferred embodiment the machine is designed for the banding of link type sausages, which use presents certain problems peculiar to the handling and banding of sausages, and for which use the invention has been found to be of especially great advantage, but it is to be understood that the machine is readily adaptable to the banding of other articles and that the references hereinafter made to sausages are not to be interpreted in any limiting sense in so far as the broader aspects of the invention are concerned.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a sausage banding machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a row of sausages which have been banded together by the machine into a unified package structure;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through one end of the package structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the machine, taken on approximately the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on approximately the line 6-45 of Fig. 5, showing the banding mechanism at one stage in its operation;

Fig. 7 is a similar section showing the banding mechanism at a later stage in its operation;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section, taken on approximately the line 3-8 of Fig. 6, with certain portions broken away to reveal otherwise concealed features or construction;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section, taken on approximately the line 9--9 of Fig. 8, showing the platen against which the sealing head operates and the blade in the platen for either perforating or severing the banding material;

Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section through the discharge end of the channel member in which the sausage feeding conveyor operates, showing the device used in rotating curled sausages to place them all in the same position;

Fig. ll is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on approximately the line il-l l of Fig. 5, showing the device provided for insuring the machine being brought to a stop with the sealing head in its retracted position;

Fig. 12 is a diametric section through the slipclutch pulley provided for driving the main operating shaft of the machine, taken approximately on the line !2-I 2 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 13 is a side view of the device employed for controlling the operation of the cut-oif; and

Fig. 14 is a horizontal section through the control device, taken on approximately the line I l- I 4 of Fig. 13. V

The machine illustrated in the drawings is adapted to produce an articulated package on the order of the one shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this package a predetermined number of link type sausages iii are individually banded about their centers by encircling loops H and are connected together si-:le-by-side by intervening webs [2, in a substantially straight row. The loops and webs are fun ed from two strips i3 and E4 of paper or other aitable materialthe loops ll about the sausages being composed of complementary strip sections l5 and it and the connecting webs 12 being composed of contigucusly secured strip sections i7 and 8. The webs l2 are preferably perforated crosswise of the same at !9, midway between adjoining loops, in order to enable any two of the sausages in the unified package to be readily separated from each other by tearing the webs, without disturbing the loops about those particular sausages or any of the other sausages, which loops will remain intact on the separated sausages as identifying bands. The loops I! may advantageously bear printed matter, such as a trademark, a list of ingredients, directions for cooking, etc. The strips l3 and I4 are preferably, though not necessarily, of the same width and may advantageously be made flexible enough to enable any two of the sausages to be spread apart easily, both for convenience in reaching in to the webs to tear the same and also for convenience in rolling up the row of sausages into compact form for weighing or wrapping.

The machine includes a horizontally elongated main frame 20. The frame provides a mounting for two conveyors 2| and 22, which conveyors extend longitudinally of the frame in substantially encl-to-end relation to each other. The conveyor 2! feeds the sausages to the point in the machine where the banding operation takes place, while the conveyor 22 supports the sausages after they have been banded and delivers them to a point where they can be conveniently removed from the machine for boxing or other disposition.

The strips i3 and M which are used in the banding operation are preferably narrow ribbons of thin but tough flexible paper, printed with a trade-mark or other matter and coated with a transparent thermoplastic adhesive. These strips are fed from rolls 23 and 2 3 which are positioned in suitably supported reels 25 and 26.

The banding mechanism is for the most part enclosed within a housing 21, which housing is mounted on the frame '20 above the discharge end of the conveyor 2 l.

The machine is operated by an electric motor 28 which is located in the lower portion of the frame 20. The motor 28 is secured to a bracket 29 which is pivoted at 30 to the frame. The motor is provided within an extension case 3! with reduction gearing (not shown), which gear ing turns a shaft 32 on which a pulley 33 (see Fig. l is mounted. The pulley 33 drives a belt 34 which extends upwardly and is trained over another pulley 35. The pulley 35 (see Fig. 5) is secured to a shaft 36 which is journaled in the housing 27. The shaft 3t constitutes the main operating shaft of the machine and makes one revolution for each sausage banding operation. The off-center location of the case 3| and pulley 33 relative to the point of pivotal support 30 places a uniform tension on the belt 34, which tension is sufficient to cause the belt to engage with the pulleys 33 and 35 but is not so great as to prevent slippage in the event any moving part of the machine meets with an obstruction during its opera tion.

The sausage feeding conveyor 2| is operated from the shaft 3t by a chain 3'! which is trained over a sprocket St on that shaft. The chain 31 extends downwardly to another sprocket 39 which is secured to a shaft A0 (see Fig. 8) journaled in the frame 26. The shaft til carries two spaced sprockets M which are located on the shaft at points equidistant from the center line of the machine. These sprockets, which drive the conveyor 12!, are provided with parallel chains 42 which extend horizontally to other sprockets 83 mounted on an adjustabiy positioned shaft 54 at the far end of the machine. The upper stretches of the chains 62 travel toward the banding station in upon an upwardly opening channel member At regular intervals the links of the chains 32 are provided with upwardly opening holders :5 in which the opposite ends of the sausages to be handed are adapted to be placed with the sausages disposed crosswise of the conveyor. The channel member 45 terminates at 41 adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 2i, and at this point the holders 16 on the chains move downwardly in an arc, releasing each of the sausages in turn. As the holders 46 move downwardly the of the sausages carried by the same are deposited on laterally spaced transfer plates 49, which plates are located with their upper surfaces substantially even with the bottoms of the holders it during the horizontal travel of the latter.

The conveyor 22 which is positioned with its receiving end just beyond the ends of the transfer plates 49 is formed in two sections 58 and El. The first section 58 consists of two side plates 52 which are connected in spaced parallel relation to each other by tie rods 53. The upper edges of the side plates 52 extend first upwardly and rearwardly at a slight inclination to the horizontal and then downwardly and rearwardly at a slight inclination to the horizontal. These inclined edges of the side plates are provided with small bearing apertures in which the reduced ends of anti-friction rollers 55 are journaled. The rollers 54 are arranged in practically continuous sideby-side relation to provide a substantially fiat supporting surface for the reception and advancement of the banded sausages.

The front section 56 of the roller conveyor is removably positioned in the frame of the machine on two spaced guide rails 55, which rails permit the section to be withdrawn rearwardly to give ready access for cleaning. The section 59 is normally held against rearward movement by small locking studs 56 on the side rails, which studs extend upwardly into complementary recesses in the lower edges of the side plates 52.

The rear section 5| of the roller conveyor likewise consists of side plates 51, tie rods 53 and .laterally spaced transfer plates d9.

anti-friction rollers 59. The rear section is arranged as a continuation of the front section, at the same downwardly sloping inclination as the adjacent portion of the front section, which inclination is variable and is so adjusted as to cause the banded sausages to gravitate down the same under their own weight. The rear section is removably supported on underlying rails 80, which rails are pivotally connected at their front ends at El to the rails 55 to permitthe section 5| to be either removed or else dropped downwardly into an out-of-the-way position. The section 5! is normally held in its inclined position by diagonally arranged braces 62, which braces are pivoted at their upper ends to the rails 60 at 63 and are adjustably secured at their lower ends to adjacent portions of the frame by bolts 84 engaging within elongated slots 65 in the frame. The section 5| is releasably secured in position on the supporting rails 60 by the clamping action of a set screw 66. Y

The sausages when being placed in the longitudinally spaced holders 46 of the sausage feeding conveyor may be conveniently taken from a tray 61 mounted on the frame along one side of the channel member 45.

The mechanism which effects the banding of the sausages is located for the most part within the housing 21 on the upper part of the frame of the machine. This mechanism includes primarily a stationary platen 68 over which the two strips l3 and M of banding material are fed; a movable sealing head 58 which operates against the platen to secure the interposed strips together; a pair of movable sausage positioning hooks H; which place each sausage in turn in proper position between the strips of banding material; a movable strip curling blade El which wraps the upper strip about each sausage after the latter has been placed between the strips; and a movable band perforating and cutting blade 12, which blade perforates both strips in the sealed connecting web portions thereof and at predetermined times completely severs both strips.

The platen 68 (see particularly Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9) is set at a forwardly tilted angle in a position just in advance of the receiving end of the front section 5| of the roller conveyor, between the The platen is resiliently yieldable to a limited extent in a direction normal to the plane at its upper surface against the resistance of underlying springs 13. The springs are positioned between the platen and an underlying block "M, in recesses if: in the latter, and the upward projection of the laten is limited by nuts H5 on bolts Tl, which bolts also serve to guidingly support the platen in its movement toward and away from the block #4. The platen 68 contains a narrow transversely elongated slot 18, in which slot the perforating and severing blade 12 is slidingly mounted with its cutting edge 19 flush with face 80 of the platen in the undepressed position of the latter. The block 14 which carries the platen 68 is provided with a bore 81 in which a rod 82 connected with the blade 12 is slidably guided. The lower edge 83 of the blade 12 normally rests against the upper surface of the block M. The upper or cutting edge 19 of the blade 12 is notched out at St to cause the blade to perforate without com- 'pletely severing the overlying strips of the banding material upon the platen 68 being depressed into solid abutment with the block 14'. When it is desired to have the overlying strips of banding material completely severed, however, the rod 82 connected with the blade 12 is advanced in the block 14, causing the blade 12 when the platen is depressed to project far enough into the banding material to present a continuous cutting edge from one end to the blade of the other. The means provided for elevating the blade 12 from its normal perforating position to its raised severing position, at predetermined intervals, will be described later.

The sealing head 69 (see Figs. 6 and '7) is a block-like member which tapers toward its lower end and is characterized at that end by a pressure face 85. The face is elongated in a direction crosswise of the machine and is provided intermediate its front and rear edges with a narrow groove 86, which groove receives the upper edge ll) of the perforating and severing blade 12 when the sealing head is moved downwardly into engagement with the portions of the strips l3 and Hi resting on the platen $8. The head 69 is heated by an electric heating element (not shown) which is enclosed within the same, and the heating element is connected by flexible leads 8? with a'source of current. The head 69 moves between a lowered position and a raised position. In its lowered position it registers with the face 83 of the platen 68 and is disposed at a downwardly and rearwardly inclined angle, with its face 85 at the same angle to the horizontal as the face at of the platen. The sealing head 69 is located midway between the side plates 88 of the housing El and is mounted on the front end of an arm 39 which extends forwardly from a stationary cross rod 95. The arm 89 is journaled at its rear end on the rod 90 for oscillation on a vertical plane and is provided on its upper side with a cam following roller dl. The roller 9| engages with a cam 92 which is secured to the shaft 33. The cam 92 acts to move the arm 89 downwardly, while a tensioned coil spring 93 which extends upwardly from the arm to a stationary cross rod 94 acts to return the arm to its elevated position under the restraining control of the roller 9|.

The two laterally spaced sausage positioning hooks H3 (see Figs. 6 and '2) are located in the housing 2? at opposite sides of the sealing head 89, for engagement with the end portions only of each sausage. The hooks 79 are curved rearwardly and are secured at their upper ends to the front ends of horizontally disposed arms The arms 95 are rigidly connected together in spaced parallel relation by short tie rods 9%, and are pivotally connected at their rear ends to the lower ends of upwardly extending links 9?. The links til, which are similarly connected together by short tie rods 98, are pivotally connected at their upper ends to a stationary cross rod 59. A cam following roller Hill is journaled on the side of one of the links 97 and engages with a cam lei which is secured to the shaft 36 at one side of the sealing head cam 92. The roller H 0, acting through the links 91, operates to move the hooks ill rearwardly, while two tensioned coil springs 82, which extend forwardly from the links 91, operate to return the hooks to their forwardly disposed positions. During their rearward movement the hooks are lowered by the action of a bell crank lever I03 which is journaled on the rod 98. One of the arms [M of the lever 263 carries a roller H15 which rides in a horizontally elongated slot W3 in one of the arms 95, white the other arm Id! of the lever Hi3 carries a cam following roller I88 which engages with a third 7 cam I09 on the shaft 36. During the return or forward movement of the hooks It the latter are raised and maintained in an elevated position by a tensioned coil spring III which spring extends upwardly from the arm I04 of the lever I83 to a stud III.

The curling blade II (see Figs. 6 and 7) which acts to abruptly tuck the upper strip I3 down behind each sausage into a position over the platen 68 for engagement with the sealing head 89, is located immediately to the rear of and in alignment with the sealing head. The blade II is curved rearwardly and is secured at its rear end to a rock shaft H2. The shaft H2 is journaled at its ends in the side plates 88 of the housing and is provided near one of its ends with a short forwardly extending arm II3. The arm I I3 is pivotally connected at its forward end with the lower end of an upwardly extending link I Hi, and the link H6 is pivotally connected at its upper end to the front end of another link H5. The link II is pivoted at its rear end to the cross rod 99 and is provided intermediate its ends with a cam following roller IIS which engages with a fourth cam Ill on the shaft 36. The cam Ill acts to raise the blade 'II into an elevated out-of-the-way position, while a tensioned coil spring H8 which extends between studs H3 and I29 carried at a suitable point on the machine housing and by the link II-l, respectively, acts to move the blade 'II downwardly to draw the upper strip I3 into place behind the sausage being operated on in readiness for descent of the sealing head 58.

The lower strip It in traveling from the reel 26 to the platen 68 passes upwardly and rear-- wardly along a slide plate I2I (see Fig. 6). The plate IZI is provided at its upper end with a flattened tubular portion I22 which directs strip onto the platen, and is provided below the tubular portion I22 with a tensioning device I23 for yieldingly resisting the movement of the strip toward the platen. This device consists of a small bracket IE5 which is pivoted at its upper end to the plate I2I and is provided with a weighted roller I25, which roller rides on the strip It and presses'the latter snugly against the plate. The weight of the roller I23 tends swing the lower end of the bracket i2 1 away from the plate I2 I. The bracket I2 5 is adjustably I connected by a screw 28 to a friction shoe I'i'i which overlies the strip It, with the result that upward movement of the strip is yieldingly resisted to the extent determined by the adjust ment placed on the tensioning device by the setting of the screw.

The upper strip I3 in traveling from the reel 25 to the platen 68 passes first through two flattened guide loops I23 and IE3, which loops are mounted on an oscillating arm I38. The arm I extends forwardly and upwardly from the front end of the housing 2? and is secured to a rock shaft I3I, which shaft is journaled at its ends in the housing. The shaft i3I is rocked back and forth by a link I32 which is pivotally connected at its front end to a lever I33 on the shaft I3! and is pivotally connected at its rear end to an intermediate portion of one of the links 91. The movement of the loops I23 and I28 acts to drawa short length of the strip I3 from the reel '25 for each banding operation. From the lower loop :23 strip i3 is threaded between a bracket I34 on the housing 2'! and a weighted roller I35 carried by a plate I35 hinged to the bracket. The weight of the roller I35 tends to press the strip I3 snugly against the opposite face of the bracket I34, producing just enough tension on the strip to keep the latter taut while it is being tucked down behind each sausage by the curling blade H, which thus acts to hold the adjacent sausage in place as the banding operation proceeds.

The operation of those parts of the banding mechanism thus far described is as follows:

Assuming that portions of the upper and lower strips I3 and I 4 have been moved into a position overlying the platen 68-rotation of the shaft 36 causes the heated sealing head 69 to descend alongside the then lowered curling blade 'II onto the strips (as shown in Fig. '7) and press the latter tightly against the platen. The heat and pressure to which the strips are thus subjected act on the adhesive on the strips to securely bond the same togetheracross their entire widths, throughout a rectangular area corresponding to the shape of the face of the sealing head, producing from the sections IT and I8 of the strip the desired connecting web I2 (see Fig. 4). As the sections IT and I8 of the strips are being bonded together the platen 68 yields downwardly far enough to expose through the upper surface 89 of the same the interrupted portions of the cutting edge 19 of the blade 12, causing the exposed portions to perforate the web I2 at I9.

Further rotation of the shaft 35 then causes he sealing head 69 to move upwardly into an out-of-the-way position and the hooks ID to move downwardly into engagement with the rearmost sausage on the conveyor 2i just as that sausage is being disengaged by the then downwardly moving holders 46 of the conveyor and deposited with its ends resting on the laterally spaced transfer plates 49.

Still further rotation of the shaft 36 then causes the hooks 'II] to move rearwardly with the sausage, shifting it against the free bight I3'I of the upper strip I3. This-causes the strip to be advanced against the yielding resistance offered by the retarding roller I35, which resistance is sufficient to cause the bight I31 of the strip to be looped rather closely about the advancing face of the sausage. This rearward movement of the sausage into engagement with the bight I31 brings the sausage into engagement with the previously banded sausage, shifting the latter and all banded sausages before it along the conveyor, leaving the sausage which is to be banded in the position formerly occupied by the last banded sausage.

It has been found convenient, in boxing continuously banded sausages, to band the sausages together in rows of anywhere from twelve to seventeen sausages, the number of sausages in each row depending on such factors as the size of the sausages, the length of the boxes, and the total weight desired per box. As previously described, the sausages as they are banded are separated into rows of any desired length by the blade I2, which blade at all other times merely serves to perforate the webs I2 between the sausages.

The means for causing the blade I2 to sever any particular one of the webs I2 and the means for selectively controlling the operation of the blade, will now be described.

The vertically movable rod 82 (see Fig. 9) to which the blade I2 is attached is connected by an adjustable screw connection I38 (see Fig. 6) to the upper end of a rocker arm I39. The arm I39 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a stationary bracket Hit, and is connected by a link I4I with the armature I42 of a solenoid I43, When the solenoid M3 is energized the blade I2 will be projected upwardly into a position above the face 80 of the platen 68, in which position it will completely sever the overlying web I2 while the latter is being bonded by the sealing head 69. At all other times the blade I2 will be retained in its lowered perforating position in the platen 68 by a tensioned coil spring M4 connected with the arm I39.

The particular web forming operation at which the solenoid M3 is caused to elevate the blade I2 is controlled by a device M5 which is mounted in a casing Mt on one side of the housing 27 (see Figs. 1 and 2). One end of the operating shaft 36 extends into the casing I 36 and is provided with a cam I ll. The cam It? engages with a roller I43 (see Figs. 13 and 14) on one end of an arm I49. The arm I 439 is pivotally mounted at its other end on a tubular shaft I50, and the shaft IE is journaled on a stationary supporting rod II. The shaft I50 is provided with a ratchet wheel I52, and the arm I 35 is equipped with a pivotally mounted dog 53 which engages with each of the teeth of the wheel I 52 in turn. Every time the cam It? moves the arm I49 the wheel I52 is rotated in one direction the distance covered by one of the teeth. Rotation of the wheel I52 in the opposite direction is prevented by a dog I54 which is pivotally attached to a portion of the casing in overruning engagement with the teeth. As a result of this arrangement, the tubular shaft I50 is caused to turn but one complete revolution during a number of revolutions of the shaft 36.

The tubular shaft I583 carries a sleeve I55 which is slidable axially of the shaft I59 but is prevented from turning relative to the same by a spline connection 256. The sleeve I55 is provided at one of its ends with a gear' I51, which gear is adapted to mesh selectively with any one of a plurality of pinions I58, I59, I68, I6I, I62 and I63. These pinions are of graduated diameters and are all fixedly mounted on a tubular shaft I64. The shaft PM is in turn rotatably mounted on a rod I55. The rod I55 is arranged parallel to the axis of the gear I57 and is secured at its ends in the sides I66 of a movable bracket IN. The bracket I6] is pivotally supported at its lower end on a stationary stud Hi8 and is pressed resiliently toward the gear I57 by a tensioned coil spring I69, whereby to maintain the gear I51 in mesh with the particular pinion opposite the same. 7

To change from one pinion to another in order to alter the gear ratio between the tubular shafts I5!) and IE6, the bracket It? is first swung away from the gear I51 by the depression of an exposed finger piece I'Iil on a rod l'II, which rod extends downwardly through the top of the easing I46 and bears at its lower end against a cross rod I12 on the bracket I51 With the bracket It! held temporarily in this position, the gear I51 can be shifted axially one way or the other into opposition with any desired one of the pinions, the shifting being efiected by means of an accessible handle I13 which is connected with a vertically extending shaft I'M. The shaft I'I t is journaled in the upper wall of the casing Mt and is provided at its lower end with a lever H5 having a bifurcated block IIt rotatably mounted in its free end. This block loosely embraces the edge of the gear I51, causing the gear to shift axially in the direction and to the extent that the handle I73 is moved. A downwardly spring pressed detent in the handle I13 is adapted to snap into any one of several arcuately arranged recesses I'IB in a plate H9 on the top of the casing I43, whereby to accurately index the gear I5"; in direct opposition. to the particularpinion to be driven by the same.

The tubular shaft I515 to which the grad uated pinions are secured is provided at one of its ends with a circular disk 58% in which a notch I8! is formed. A micro-switch ItZ is mounted on the bracket It? opposite the disk Itt and is provided with an actuating finger I33. The finger I83 is pivotally supported at its upper end and is provided at its lower end with a small roller which rides on the periphery of the disk I88. Intermediate its ends the finger I83 is operatively associated with the circuit clos ing element I35 of the STZL LCh. When the disk I30 is rotated into a position where the notch It! in the same is directly opposite the roller I84 the latter will spring into the notch and the resulting movement of the finger I33 to the left will momentarily close the switch 282. The switch I82 is arranged in the circuit of the solenoid I43, and the blade I2 will accordingly be elevated at that instant into its severing, as distinguished from perforating, position. The switch I82 can be rendered inoperative, if desired, by opening a second exteriorly accessible switch I 3-3 in the same circuit.

By locating the depressible finger piece IIil adjacent the laterally movable handle I13, as shown, the attendant can change the cutoif adjustment with one hand, by depressing the finger piece I'It with the palm or side of the hand while swinging the handle I13 from one indexing notch to another.

The various gear ratios obtainable by shifting the gear I51 into engagement with the different pinions I58 to I83, inclusive, enables the tubular shaft I6 3 on which the pinions and the switch operating disk I88 are mounted to make one complete revolution for different numbers of revolutions of the operating shaft 35, whereby to cause the cut-off device to operate at different intervals. When the pinion I53, for example, is engaged by the gear i5'i, the cut-oil device will be operated after a predetermined number of the articles have been continuously banded together, whereas when the pinion I63 is engaged the cut-off device will operate after a lesser number of the articles have been banded. Use of the intervening pinions will produce packages in which correspondingly different numbers of articles are banded.

If for any reason it is desired to individually band the sausages or other articles without coupling them together into a unified package structure, this can be done by elevating a finger piece ISI located beneath the bottom of the casing is. The finger piece It! is secured to the lower end of a rod I88 which extends upwardly through the bottom of the casing and is pivotally connected to a horizontally extending link I89; The link I89 is provided at one of its ends with a roller I90 which is adapted to be engaged by a second cam IQI on the shaft 36 when the link I89 is raised to bring the roller into operative relation to that cam. The link we is provided with an upwardly extending projection on which an antifriction roller I92 is mounted. When the rod I83 is shifted upwardly by the finger piece I81 7 and moved laterally to cause a notch I93 in the side of the rod to lock the same in its elevated position, the roller I92 will engage with the underside of the arm I49 and lift the roller M8 on that arm into an inoperative position relative to the cam I47. Upon each revolution of the shaft 36 the roller I33 on the link its will cause the link to move toward the right. The other end of the link I89 is pivotally connected to the lower end of an upwardly extending rocker arm I9 5. The arm I9 3 is pivoted intermediate its ends to a stud I95 and is provided at its upper end with a small anti-friction roller I95 which bears against the switch finger IE3 at a point between the pivotal mounting of the latter and the roller I36. The finger I33 is made of spring metal, with the result that the movement of the link I89 and rocker arm I94 upon each revolution of the shaft 36 will flex the finger I83 and cause the switch I82 to close, resulting in the blade 52 being elevated into its severing position during each banding operation.

It is important that the sausages or other articles be delivered by the conveyor .iI to the banding mechanism with the ends of the sausages substantially evenwith each other and, in the case of sausages which have a pronounced curl, with the curl turned in substantially the same direction, otherwise a package of rather irregular shape will result.

Because of the rapidity with which the conveyor 2| moves it is difilcult for those loading the sausages onto the conveyor to place them in the holders 46 with any degree of uniformity of positioning. To obtain a uniform positioning of the ends of the sausages at the delivery end of the conveyor ZI a pair of horizontally extending fingers I9! are provided in the channel member 45 near the end of the same at opposite sides of the conveyor chains 32 (see Fig. 2). These fingers are secured to the upper ends of vertically e:- tending rock shafts I98 which are journaled in apertures in the channel member. Beneath the channel member the shafts I93 are provided with short levers I99 which are connected by links 280 with a centrally arranged slide plate 2i (see Fig. 8). The plate 2I2I is mounted for horizontal movement in a guideway 292 and is urged in one direction by a spring 263. At one end the plate 20! is provided with a nose portion which is adapted to be engaged by first one and then the other of two diametrically opposed rollers 204. The rollers 2126 are carried by a small spider 295 which is secured to the shaft 9 (see Fig. 6). Every time one or the rollers 204 engages the nose portion it slides the plate 295 backwardly against the resistance of the spring 263. As soon as the roller releases the nose portion the spring slides the plate forwardly, causing the front ends of the fingers I9? to move toward each other to the same extent. The movement of the fingers .4

I9! is so timed as to cause the fingers to engage with the ends of a sausage passing the same on the conveyor 2 I, thereby accurately centering the sausage on the conveyor. The fingers I91 are preferably made of resiliently yieldable spring material in order to allow them to flex enough to compensate for sausages of greater than average length.

To position all of the sausages with the curl therein directed downwardly in a vertical plane, a narrow longitudinally extending trip plate 266 is secured to the channel member 55 midway between the chains 22 (see Fig. 10). The Plate 206 projects upwardly from the channel member to a point where it will engage with the center portions of any sausages which are not already curled downwardly. The engagement of the plate with those sausages will cause the same in passing to rotate into a downwardly curled position. Beyond the plate 253 a second somewhat similar upwardly and rearwardly inclined plate 201 is provided (see Figs. 8 and 10). The plate 261 is inclined upwardly toward the platen 68 and forms an approach to the latter. It is recessed at 208 to afford sufficient clearance for the entrance of the lower strip I i.

To insure the machine always coming to a stop with the sealing band 69 in its elevated position, a stop 209 is secured to one end of the op-v erating shaft 36 for abutment with one end 2|!) of a dog ZII (see Fig. 11). The dog 2 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a stud 2E2 which projects from the adjacent side of the housing 2"! and is connected at its other end by a link 2I3 to the armature 2M of a solenoid 2I5, which solenoid is arranged in the circuit of the operating motor 28. As long as the motor 28 is operating the solenoid 2I5 will be energized and will hold the end 2 I3 of the dog 2| I in an elevated position clear of the rotating stop 209, but as soon as the motor 28 is turned off the end 2H! of the dog will drop downwardly into the path of movement of the stop 289, under the action of a tensioned coil spring 2:6 and the natural tendency of the shaft 36 to turn a few additional revolutions before coming to rest will insure the stop 2% coming up into abutment with the end 2I0 of the dog. The dog will then cause the shaft 36 to be brought to an abrupt stop in a position in which the sealing head 59 will be in .its elevated, as distinguished from depressed, position.

Should anything interfere at any time with the normal operation of the machine-as for example a sausage getting inadvertently placed on the conveyor 2! at an angle instead of crosswise--the banding mechanism upon meeting the additional resistance caused by the obstructing sausage will come to a stop without any damage being done to the mechanism. This is possible due to the mounting of the motor 28 so that it is capable of yielding upwardly to momentarily release the tension on the belt 34, and is further insured by introducing a slip clutch 2|! into the driving pulley 33. The pulley 33 includes a centrally grooved ring 2 I3 which is rotatable relative to the hub 2I9 of the pulley and two side plates 220 which are non-rotatably keyed to the hub. Friction disks 22I of any suitable material -are positioned under adjustable compression between the side plates 220 and the grooved ring 2H! for yieldingly resisting relative rotation therebetween under overloading conditions, the amount of torque transmitted being determ'med by the adjustment of clamping nuts 222. The side plates 220 are thinned out at 223 and the resulting resiliency is utilized to place the friction disks 22I under spring pressure. The disks 22I are apertured at 224 to permit grease packed in the pulley to work to the journaling portion of the ring 2IB.

The operation of the banding mechanism of the machine, briefly summarized, is as follows:

After the upper strip I3 has been brought down onto the lower strip I4 on the platen 68 by the action of the strip positioning blade 'II the sealing head 69 descends onto the strips and the heat in the head bonds the two strips together to form one of the webs I2. At the same time the web I2 is perforated by the action of the blade 12 in the platen. The sealing head 69 and blade II then rise into an out-of-the-way position, and the sausage engaging hooks 1B descend into engagement with the ends of the foremost sausage on the conveyor 2i and slide that sausage along the transfer plates 1% and over the platen 68 between the converging portions of the strips 13 and I4. The engagement of the sausage with the strips 13 and M at the edge of the web l2 acts to push the strips into a position beyond the platen 58. The hooks It bring the sausage from the position in Fig. 6, to rest against the last previously banded sausage, in approximate sidewise abutment with the latter. The resistance oifered by the strip tensioning device 123 to the advancement of the strip M maintains the latter in a taut condition over the platen 68, while the resistance offered by the strip tensioning roller I 35 to the advancement of the strip l3 maintains that strip snugly drawn about the advancing face of the sausage. As soon as the sausage has reached the position in sidewise abutment with the previously banded sausage, the strip positioning blade H will descend to wrap the upper strip !3 about the sausage and depress such strip into a position adjacent the strip M on the platen 63 as illustrated in Fig. '7. While this is occurring the sealing head 69 descends and bonds the two strips together behind the sausage, in a second web it, thereby completing the banding of the sausage. While the sealing head 69 is in its depressed condition, the platen 68 yields downwardly far enough to permit the normally concealed blade 72 in the platen to perforate the web i2 intermediate the front and rear edges of the latter. The hooks 18 then release the banded sausage, rise far enough to clear the next sausage, then descend into engagement with that sausage, which is located as shown in Fig. 6, and move the latter to sidewise abutment with the preceding sausage, the series of already connected sausages on the front section 59 of the conveyor 22 being pushed forwardly as a unit a distance approximately equal to the diameter of each sausage. The upward inclination of the front portion of the first section 50 of the conveyor offers some resistance to the advancement of the connected sausages, which resistance assists in obtaining a compact packaging structure.

Should one of the sausages be placed wrong on theconveyor 2| and the sealing head 69 become wedged against the same, causing the machine to stop, the machine can be cleared by shutting off the motor 28 and reversing the shaft 40 part of a turn by means of a hand crank applied to a crank socket 225 at one end of that shaft. Reversal of the shaft 40 will raise the sealing head, permitting removal of the obstructing sausage. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the structure herein disclosed is merely exemplary of various provisions for attaining the same ends, which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, both for the banding of articles with a pair of bands or for other manipulations involving the same or a different number of strips. I therefore desire that the invention be construed no more narrowly in these respects than is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for automatically banding articles, means for supplying banding material, a platen across which portions of the banding material are adapted to be positioned while being secured together, means for feeding the articles to be banded, means for moving each of the articles into a position beyond the platen with portions of the banding material about the article and other portions of the banding material across the platen, a sealing head which is movable into engagement with the platen behind the article on the interposed portions of the banding material for securing such portions together, a motor for operating the sealing head, and means for stopping the movement of the sealing head in a retracted position when the motor is shut off.

2. In a machine for automatically banding articles, means for supplying banding material, a platen across which portions of the banding material are adapted to be positioned while being secured together, means for feeding the articles to be banded, means for moving each of the articles into a position beyond the platen with portions of the banding material about the article and other portions of the banding material across the platen, a sealing head which is movable into engagement with the platen behind the article on the interposed portions of the banding material for securing such portions together, a shaft connected with the sealing head for moving the latter, a motor for operating the shaft, an abutment carried by the shaft, a stop cooperable with the abutment to bring the shaft to rest with the sealing head in a retracted position, and means for normally rendering the stop inoperative, said means being connected with the circuit of the motor and serving to permit movement of the stop into an operative position upon the motor being shut off.

3. In a machine for automatically banding articles, a banding mechanism, means for supplying banding material to the mechanism, a conveyor for feeding the articles to be banded to the mechanism and periodically operable means shiftahle transversely of the path of feed of said articles by said conveyor and into engagement with the ends of the articles while on the conveyor for centering the articles on the conveyor prior to their delivery to the banding mechanism.

4. In a machine for automatically banding articles, of the type including a banding mechanism, means for supplyin banding material to the mechanism, and a conveyor for feeding the articles to be banded to the mechanism, means engageable with the ends of the articles while on the conveyor for centering the articles on the conveyor prior to their delivery to the banding mechanism, said centering means consisting of a pair of pivoted fingers, and means for moving the free ends of the fingers into engagement with the ends of the articles.

5. In a machine for automatically banding articles, of the type including a banding mechanism, means for supplying banding material to the mechanism, and a conveyor for feeding the articles to be banded to the mechanism, means engageable with the ends of the articles while on the conveyor for centering the articles on the conveyor prior to their delivery to the banding F mechanism, said centering means consisting of a pair of pivoted fingers, and means for moving the free ends of the fingers into engagement with the ends of the articles, said fingers being resiliently flexible and yieldable to compensate for articles of varying length.

6. In a machine for automatically banding curled articles such as link type sausages into a package structure, a banding mechanism, means for supplying banding material to the mechanism, a conveyor for feeding the articles to be banded to the mechanism, and means engageable with each of the articles on the conveyor for positioning the article with the curl in the same plane.

7. In a machine for automatically banding curled articles such as link type sausages into a package structure, a banding mechanism, means for supplying banding material to the mechanism, a conveyor for feeding the articles to be banded to the mechanism, and means engageable with each of the articles on the conveyor for positioning the article with the curl in the same plane, said article engaging means consisting of a trip in the path of movement of the articles, which trip engages and rotates into the desired position only those articles which are not already in that position.

8. In a machine for automatically banding elongated articles, means for supplying banding material, means for feeding articles to be banded, a platen across which portions of the banding material are fed, means engageable with the ends of the articles while on said last named means for centering the articles thereon, means for forming the banding material into loop-s about the articles and connecting webs between the loops which are disposed across said platen, a sealing head movable into engagement with the platen atsaid connecting webs, a motor for operating said sealing head, means for stopping the movement of said sealing head in a retracted position when the motor is shut 011, means mounted in the platen for cutting said web, mean for controlling the operation of said cutting means, comprising a drive shaft operating in timed relation to said loop forming means, a driven shaft operating in timed relation to the cutting means, a power transmitting means between said shafts, and means for varying the speed ratio of said power transmitting means.

9. In a machine for automatically banding elongated articles, means for supplying banding material, means for feeding articles to be banded, a platen across which portions of the banding material are fed, means engageable with the ends of the articles while on said last named means for centering the articles thereon, means for forming the banding material into loops about the articles and connecting webs between the loops which are disposed across said platen, a

sealing head movable into engagement with the platen at said connecting webs, a motor for op erating said sealing head, means for stopping the movement of said sealing had in a retracted position when the motor is shut off, means mounted in the platen for cutting said web, means for controlling the operation of said cutting means, comprising a drive shaft operating in timed re- 16 lation to said loop forming means, a driven shaft operating in timed relation to the cutting means, a power transmitting means between said shafts, means for varying the speed ratio of said power transmitting means, and a conveyor for receiving articles after they have been banded, said conveyor being povided with a supporting surface composed of a plurality of closely arranged anti-friction idler rollers.

10. In a machine for automatically banding elongated curled articles, means for supplying banding material, means for feeding articles to be banded, means engageable with the articles on said last named means for centering the articles thereon and for positioning the articles with the curl in the same plane, a platen across which portions of the banding material are adapted to be positioned while being secured together, means for forming the banding material into loops abut the articles and connecting webs between the loops which are disposed across said platen, a sealing head movable into engagement with the platen at said connecting webs, means mounted in the platen for cutting said web, said means being movable relative to the platen from one position in which it perforates said webs to another position in which it completely severs the same, means for controlling the operation of said cutting means, comprising a drive shaft operatin in timed relation to said loop forming means, a driven shaft operating in timed relation to the cutting means, a power transmitting connection between said shafts, means for varying the speed ratio of said power transmitting means, and a conveyor for receiving articles after they have been banded, said conveyor being provided with a supporting surface composed of a plurality of closely arranged anti-friction idler rollers.

VICTOR A. GREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 859,537 Ballard July 9, 1907 1,078,291 Kane et al Nov. 11, 1913 1,290,381 Skerl Jan. 7, 1919 1,455,479 Daggett May 15, 1923 1,591,422 Haas July 6, 1926 1,842,185 Magill Jan. 19, 1932 2,051,105 Roberts Aug. 18, 1936 2,170,609 Nedal Sept. 5, 1939 2,171,667 Mickelson et a1 Sept. 5, 1939 2,345,910 Fawcett Apr. 4, 1944 2,379,937 Sloan July 10, 1945 

